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Syphilis Question
Dear Doctor,
I have read through all of the forums and I am about 98% sure that I cannot have syphilis -- I am aware that the risk was extremely minimal. No need to repeat yourself regarding this aspect.
The situation: brief (20-30 seconds) unprotected oral, receiving, I am a man, received from a woman with no visible oral outbreaks, exacty 27 days ago.
Next day I began taking Clarithro (unrelated infection), 3.5 grams over the course of 5 days. On two of those days I took 2 pills, i.e. 1g, taken at once. Two days after starting the Biaxin I was prescribed doxycycline, 2g total taken over the course of 7 days.
On day 8 after swimming I noticed what looked like a skin fold on the end of my penis next to the urethral opening (about 1/8 inch). Unsure whether this was something normal for my penis or not, I have been observing it since. It is not an open sore or a blister, it is not red, and it is painless. Sometimes it is only clearly visible in certain light.
It has not changed its form in 19 days. It looks like a tiny "11", raised slightly, whiter than the surrounding tissue. I have always had a few whitish areas on my glans penis (not raised). I have noticed other similar "lines" on my penis at times, and I think they look like rows of those tiny, benign papules (I believe this is the term) that can be part of normal anatomy. Add to this that I tend toward benign cyst formation in other parts of my skin.
Questions:
1) I know that without looking, you can't really know, but: does this sound anything like a syphilis chancre, and if so, is it possible that the syphilis chancre would show up just 8 days after a potential exposure?
2) What would the approximate percent chance be that the medications would not have cured syphilis in its incubation phase?
Thank you in advance, doctor. I just need to fill in my remaining 2% of uncertainty.
I said I would keep it brief. If it got too long-winded, it's only in the interest of accuracy.
Cheers
I have read through all of the forums and I am about 98% sure that I cannot have syphilis -- I am aware that the risk was extremely minimal. No need to repeat yourself regarding this aspect.
The situation: brief (20-30 seconds) unprotected oral, receiving, I am a man, received from a woman with no visible oral outbreaks, exacty 27 days ago.
Next day I began taking Clarithro (unrelated infection), 3.5 grams over the course of 5 days. On two of those days I took 2 pills, i.e. 1g, taken at once. Two days after starting the Biaxin I was prescribed doxycycline, 2g total taken over the course of 7 days.
On day 8 after swimming I noticed what looked like a skin fold on the end of my penis next to the urethral opening (about 1/8 inch). Unsure whether this was something normal for my penis or not, I have been observing it since. It is not an open sore or a blister, it is not red, and it is painless. Sometimes it is only clearly visible in certain light.
It has not changed its form in 19 days. It looks like a tiny "11", raised slightly, whiter than the surrounding tissue. I have always had a few whitish areas on my glans penis (not raised). I have noticed other similar "lines" on my penis at times, and I think they look like rows of those tiny, benign papules (I believe this is the term) that can be part of normal anatomy. Add to this that I tend toward benign cyst formation in other parts of my skin.
Questions:
1) I know that without looking, you can't really know, but: does this sound anything like a syphilis chancre, and if so, is it possible that the syphilis chancre would show up just 8 days after a potential exposure?
2) What would the approximate percent chance be that the medications would not have cured syphilis in its incubation phase?
Thank you in advance, doctor. I just need to fill in my remaining 2% of uncertainty.
I said I would keep it brief. If it got too long-winded, it's only in the interest of accuracy.
Cheers
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
No worries. Those andtibiotics would have prevented or cured both gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Dear Doctor,
I hope I am permitted a followup question. First of all, thanks for your swift and reassuring response to my first concern. The service you provide is the best of its kind.
My question:
Given the antibiotics I took back then (8-9 weeks ago, clarithromycin and doxycycline), and given no symptoms whatsoever, do I need to be thinking about gonorrhea and/or chlamydia at this point? My concern would be that I might have passed something on to my wife.
thank you
I hope I am permitted a followup question. First of all, thanks for your swift and reassuring response to my first concern. The service you provide is the best of its kind.
My question:
Given the antibiotics I took back then (8-9 weeks ago, clarithromycin and doxycycline), and given no symptoms whatsoever, do I need to be thinking about gonorrhea and/or chlamydia at this point? My concern would be that I might have passed something on to my wife.
thank you
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum. OK, no lectures about how unlikely syphilis would be in the situation described -- I'll just say it's zero for practical purposes.
Answering questions 1 and 2 together: Clarithromycin is highly active against syphilis. It would have killed the organism and nipped any infection in the bud. On this basis alone, it is imossible your skin lesions are a chancre or any other manifestation of syphilis. And chancres don't appear sooner than 10-14 days after exposure, usally 2-3 weeks. Finally, your description doesn't suggest syphilis at all.
In other words, there is no rationale for even 2% remaining concern about syphilis. With 100% certainty, you don't have it.
Regards-- HHH, MD
Answering questions 1 and 2 together: Clarithromycin is highly active against syphilis. It would have killed the organism and nipped any infection in the bud. On this basis alone, it is imossible your skin lesions are a chancre or any other manifestation of syphilis. And chancres don't appear sooner than 10-14 days after exposure, usally 2-3 weeks. Finally, your description doesn't suggest syphilis at all.
In other words, there is no rationale for even 2% remaining concern about syphilis. With 100% certainty, you don't have it.
Regards-- HHH, MD
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
